Engine



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,440,172

L. T. PENNY,

Emma FaLso Fee. 8. I921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I I: I: M h ln ""nnmmm m avvuavvtoz v i r n r niisilirin ENGINE.

Application filed February 9, 1921. Serial No. 443,573.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that l, Lonnrn T. PENNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at lalebgh, in tie county of /Vake and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engines and valves therefor, and particularly to the expansible fluid type oi engine. v

in object is to provide a-reciprocatlng engine of the multiple cylinder type adapted to use compressed air, steam, or other en: pansible fluid to drive a high percentage oi energy therefrom. and to arrange an ellective control for the supply and exhaust to it from the various cylinders. y

it. further object resides in providing a valved control for the intake and exhaust, which valve is operative in its action and is substantially leak-proof.

Still another object resides in the provision of an operating means for the valves of the various cylinders by which these valves are opened and closed in the proper intervals. D

ll 1th these and further objects in view the invention consists in certain. novel features of? construction and combination of parts which will be more clearly pointed out in the specification and drawings.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation .ot an engine constructed after the manner of niv invention.

I. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional through the structure.

3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through one of the engine cylinders.

F 4- is a fragmentary elevational V ew oi: the upper end of one cylinder showing the valve chamber. r I

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4- with. parts sectioned on lines 5- 5 0'! l 6 is a sectional. view on line 66 ol" Fig. 5.

Fig. 7' is a view in elevation looking to the inner face of the valve.

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation showing the inner face of the valve chamber cover. 7

Fig. 9 is a detail view showing one of the valve operating cams. 1

in the present disclosure I have shown the invention as having four cylinders, these cylinders being cast err-blocked or being ders 2 and 5 are cylinders 3 and formed separately and then being adapted to or mounted upon the crank case 1 The upper half of the crank case and the block in which the cylinders 2, 8, 4 and 5 are formed are here shown as a single cast- 111g, but in practice this construction be varied in numerous ways.

A head 6 is bolted'or otherwise secured in place to'close the upper ends of the several cylinders, a fluid-tight connection '65 being establishedby the use of a packing Washer, or in any other suitable manner. :The crank case-l has bearings 7 and 8 and a central bearing 9, and the crank shaft 10 is mounted therein. This crank shait has the crank arms thereof so arranged that the bearing knuckles adjacent cylinon one side of the center while the bearing knuckles in line with 4 are oppositely disposed. Pistons 11, 12, 13 and 14 are mounted in the cylinders 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, for reciprocatory movement and these pistons are connected by pitnian rods .15 with the bearing knuckles of the crank shaft, the arrangement being such that pistons 11 and 14 work together, whereas pistons 12 and 13 travel together.

Adjacent the upper end of each cylinder thevalve chambers 16 are provided, these chambers being circular and being so formed that a considerable thickness of the cylinder casting remains between the cylin der chamber and the valve chamber. The interior wall of the cylinder casting is 90 bored, oris cored out, to provide the intake and exhaust passages 17 and 18 which open into the valve chamber and communicate with the expansion chamber of the cylinder. A central valve 19 is mounted revolvably ineach of the valvechambers 16, a stem 20 being provided on the outside of the disk by whichoscillatory movement can be impartedthereto. The valve disk has a sup ply or intake passage 21 formed entirel therethrough and an exhaust passage 22 formed in its inner'face and opening radially atone side. The valve disk is curved to receive a packing ring 23. it will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that I provide the adjusting screws 19, and the ball bearings '19", whichbear against the valve 19, and

which serve the function of antifriction as well as adpistlngmeans for the valve.

The valve chamber cover 24: is provided to be secured in place by cap screws 25, or other suitable fastenings to close the open outer side of each valve chamber, and these covers 2% have the supply ports 26 formed therein from the top edge opening on the inner side substantially in line with the opening of the intake port 17. A supply pipe 27 through which compressed air, steam, or,

other expansible fluid is fed to the engine leads to a supply manifold 28, which manifold has the supply pipe 29 leading therefrom to connect with the passages 26;

An exhaust manifold 30 has the branch exhaustpipe 31 leading thereto, these branch exhaust pipes being connected with the valve chambers 16 in line with exhaust passages 32. The exhaust passages 32 are formed with their inner ends opening into the valve chambers in line with the outer ends or passages 22 in the valves 19, and the exhaust passage 18 opens into the valve chamber 16 to register with this passage 22 and form a direct outlet to the exhaust manifold.

A cam shaft 33 is mounted in the crank case and has a gear at thereon meshing with the gear 35 on the crank shaft 10 so that the cam shaft turns at the same speed as the crank shaft. Rocker arms 36 are secured on the stem 30 of each of the valves, and through manipulation of these rocker arms the valves are oscillated to automatically open and close the supply and exhaust passages to the various cylinders. Operating rods 37 connected with the rocker arms have springs 38 arranged to normally exert resilient force to move the valves to one of their extreme positions, and cams 39 are provided on cam shaft 33 to move these operating rods against the force of the springs, tappet rods '40 establishing a direct link from the cams to the operating rods.

In the assembly of the engine cams operat ing the valves to cylinders 3 and i are given the same settings upon the cam shaft, while the cams operating the valves with cylinders 2 and 5 are set on the opposite side of the cam shaft, and in the operation of the engine 3 the expansible fluid is supplied alternately to the bearing cylinders and the exhaust passages are alternately operated, the rocker arms 36 being swung to give oscillatory movement to the valves and accomplish registry of the proper ports and passages in the desired intervals.

l i hile I have shown and, described the engine as being of the four cylinder type, the same result can be accomplished with two or more cylinders; also, it may be found that the crank arms in line with various cylinders should be set at equal points around the circle of movement with corresponding charges of the operating cams; and, that other changes in theccnstruction or assembly of the parts will be desirable,in view of which I do not wish to be limited to the exact details herein set forth but only to such points as are defined by the claims.

I claim 1. A reciprocating engine of the expansible fluid type including a cylinder having a valve chamber formed von one side adjacent the head end thereof and provided with. supply and exhaust passages leading from the head engine cylinder to open within the valve chamber, a valve in said chamber for oscillatory movement and having a supply passage formed therethrough and an exhaustpassage opening radially through its periphcry, a cover for said valve chamber having a fluid supply passage opening in line with the opening of the supply passage to the cylinder, an air supply pipe connected with the passage in said cover, and an exhaust pipe connected with the valve chamber and opening laterally thereinto to communicate with the exhaust passage of the valve when the same is oscillated.

2. A. valve for use on reciprocating engines of the expansible fluid type including with a valve chamber having fluid supply and exhaust passages openingthereinto from the engine cylinder, a circular disk mounted in said valve chamber of oscillatory movement, a cover for the valve chamber having a fluid supply passage opening through the inner side thereof in line with the opening of the supply passage to the cylinder, said valve chamber having a fluid exhaust pas sage opening through the sides thereof and the valve disk being provided with a supply passage formed entirely therethrough and an exhaust passage formed in its face and opening radially to communicate with the exhaust passage of the valve chamber.

3. A valve for use on reciprocating engines of the expansible fluid type including with a valve chamber having fluid supply and exhaust passages opening ticreinto from the engine cylinder, a circular disk mounted in said valve chamber for oscillatory movement, a cover for the valve chamber having a fluid supply passage opening through the inner side thereof in line with the opening of the supply passage to the cylinder, said valve chan'iher having a fluid exhaust passage opening through the sides thereof and the valve disk being provided with a supply passage formed entirely there through and an exhaust passage formed in its face and opening radially to communicate with the exhaust passage of the valve chamber, said valve chamber cover being provided with a central bearing opening and having a packing gland at the outer end thereof, and a stern extending centrally from the central valve disk through said bearing opening by which the valve is oscillated.

In testimony whereof I affix mv signature.

LONNIE T. PENNY. 

